Once upon a time , there was a princess who struggled with chronic migraines. Every day as she rose out of bed, she hoped that the day would not bestow upon her another migraine. 3-4 every week was debilitating and it was difficult to be an effective mother as the aura spun wildly in her vision, and her thoughts boomed in her head. The voices of her own children sent her retching to the bathroom and into a hazy sleep. The day after a migraine was akin to suffering an energy-sapping hangover.
This princess tracked her triggers and couldn’t find a single thing that set them off. They seemed to come at odd times, almost always stress or hormone induced, but no food triggers could be pin pointed.
This princess also limped along in life with her sore knees and painful hips. She couldn’t climb stairs without wincing in pain. She couldn’t get up from the floor without hoisting herself up with her hands. Her elbows and shoulders hurt too, and the doctor told her that at only 29 she had rheumatoid arthritis.
This same mommy couldn’t lose weight to save her life. She tried vegetarianism; eating a low calorie, low fat diet, with lots of whole grains; she tried counting calories, she tried eating to her hunger, and she tried not eating much at all. Nothing helped the pain. Nothing helped her lose weight, but everything left her feeling depressed and unsatisfied.
She also had severe, Stage 4 endometriosis, and ovaries that looked like they were wearing pearl necklaces due to the PCOS that was consuming them.
Shall I also tell you about the chronic yeast infections and chronic constipation? Naaaah, I’ll leave that part out.
Then one day, this princess’ chiropractor told her he couldn’t help her anymore. He said that her pain was coming from some type of inflammatory issue and that she needed to try eliminating whole grains from her diet.
*GASP*
WHOLE GRAINS? But they are the stuff life is made of! Whole grains are in EVERYTHING! We are supposed to eat whole grains to survive! They reduce cholesterol, heart disease, and weight! Grains are GOOD for you! How do you survive without GRAIIIIINNNNSSS?????
She woke up a few days later with another debilitating migraine, slept most of the day, then woke up the next day and spent the entire day researching Paleo. she wanted to see and hear about success stories. This was the first time in her life that she had ever been obese, so weight loss stories weren’t enough. She needed to hear about healing. The weight loss that people experienced was a bonus.
She said, “ENOUGH!” then ran to Barnes & Noble to pick up this cookbook:
She then went to the grocery store and picked up the ingredients for a few of the meals including enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A couple of days went by and this fairy tale princess waited for a migraine to ruin her day. One never came. A week went by and her joints were no longer hurting. She could stand up from the floor without feeling like her knees were going to blow out! A month went by, and the princess still hadn’t had a migraine!
6 months went by, no migraines, no joint pain, no debilitating pain during her “cycle”, no yeast infection, and 55lbs of weight loss.
The princess “indulged” from time to time and each time she did, her joints hurt for a few days, and she had the occasional migraine.
But when the princess was a good Paleo Princess, she didn’t suffer from any pain, and felt the most energy she had felt in YEARS.
Would you believe me if I told you that this was a true story? A tale of the love of food, and a princess who never felt deprived on her journey to health?
That princess is me.
These photos were not taken at the same distance, or in the same place, or wearing the same outfit. They are not the best before and during account, but I believe you can see a difference, yes?
Since these pictures were taken, I have lost 7 more inches, but in true Dirty Floor Diaries fashion, my card reader is BROKEN thanks to The Stinky dumping coffee all over it. so I don’t have any brand new photos.
But here you go. How I’ve changed in 15 months. Since you can’t “see” the wonderfully positive health benefits, all I can offer you is a snapshot at how my body has changed. It is indicative of how much things have changed from the inside out.
I’m here to inspire you on your own journey to health. Paleo can and will change your life if you let it.
This isn’t the end. I am still a work in progress, and I hope to continue to inspire.
Tara says
First off, I think you are amazing, Summer <3 I love reading your blog. The change in your body is amazing but I really, really loved hearing about the changes in your health. Like you, I have a lot of pain…migraines, joints, I feel like an old lady at 35! Paleo is definitely something I need to check out!
Ashley in Alaska says
I love it! Hearing your experience just reinforces why I live the life I live and eat the things I eat. You look great! So glad to hear you feel that much better!
Jenny says
I love your story and thank you SO much for sharing it! You look amazing and to be able to actually pin point your health problems like you have is very powerful! I myself have just got back on track and finally am caring about myself after gaining 60 lbs from having my first baby. My son is 15 mo and I have about 35 lbs to lose to get back to pre-preg weight. But honestly, I don’t care what I weigh, I just want to eat healthy Paleo foods, feed them to my family, and start taking the time to exercise and to show my son that he has a fit mommy. Feeling good and becoming healthy is the important part! Thanks again! I so love a great Paleo/Primal success story!!!
Courtney from "The Life & Food of Mrs.Curly Girl" says
Hey, Summer! I wanted to reach out to a fellow Raleigh Girl and say what’s up!! I just started my primal eating lifestyle with the Whole30 program at the beginning of last month and it was an amazing experience! Thank you for your humor, as well is your incredibly informative blog posts! I’ll be rooting you on from my little corner of the blog world!
Mallery Schuplin says
I talked to my neurologist at my last treatment and he gave me the go ahead to give Paleo a try! He wants to see a sample diet because he has a couple patients who went full Paleo and weren’t getting enough protein. Any thoughts why he was the most concerned with my protein intake?
Summer says
That’s SO weird, because that’s ALL I eat is protein. I eat 2 eggs with bacon for breakfast most days, lunch is often leftovers, or a vegetable salad (not much protein in the veggie salad, but super good for you), and LOTS of protein at dinner along with veggies. Make sure you check out that lady I recommended who healed her severe MS with a Paleo-esque diet. Her diet plan is the one you will want to follow. I believe she recommends 9 cups of leafy greens every day. Hers is a modified Paleo for people specific to MS. I forget her name right now but if you need help finding her, let me know and I’ll find her for you. xo